Car-coupling



(No Model.)

H. CHRISTIE.

UAR COUPLING.

Pa tented Ma 28, 1895.

NITED STATES -ATENT \FFICE.

HUGH CHRISTIE, OF ASPEN, COLORADO.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 539,794, dated May 28,1895.

Application filed August 2, 1894- To all whom it may concern:-

Be it known that I, HUGH CHRISTIE, a citizen of the United States,residing at Aspen, in the county of Pitkin and State of Colorado, haveinvented a newand useful Oar-Coupling, of which the following is aspecification.

The invention relates to improvements in car couplings.

The object of the present invention is to improve the construction ofcar couplings, and to provide a simple andinexpensive one, which will beadapted to be employed in connection with the ordinary construction oflink, and which will be capable of coupling automatically, and of beingconveniently un coupled without necessitating a person going betweencars.

A further object of the invention is to provide means for holding a linkin proper position for guiding it into the mouth of a drawhead, to avoidperforming such operation by hand.

The invention consists in the construction and novel combination andarrangement of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, and pointed out in the claims hereto appended.

In the drawings, Figure l is a perspective View of a car-couplingconstructed in accordance with this invention. Fig. 2 is a central.longitudinal sectional view. Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view. Fig.4 is a detail per spective view of the link holder or guider. Fig. 5 isa detail perspective view of the swinging catch. Fig. 6 is a detail viewof a swinging catch, showing another manner of hinging the same.

Like numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in all thefigures of the drawlngs. v

l designates a draw head having a longitudinal link opening or cavity 2,and provided at its top with an opening 3, and having pivoted at thefront end thereof by a transverse pin 4, the upper end of' a dependingswinging catch 5, adapted to engage a link 6. The swinging catch 5engages the link 6, in a manner similar to the ordinary coupling'pin. Itis provided at its top with an elongated opening 7 and the latterreceives thetransverse pivot pin 4, and permits the catch to bearagainst the front wall of the opening 3 to re- Serial No. 519,295. (Nomodel.)

lieve the transverse pin 4 of strain. The lower portion 8 of the catchis reduced, and it is adapted to bear against the bottom of thedraw-head. When the swinging catch is down against the bottom of thedraw-head, it is in position for automatic coupling, and the linkentering the draw-head will lift the swinging catch, and pass beneath,and be engaged by the same.

The operation of uncoupling is performed bya weighted lever 9, fulcrumed on a suitable support 10 of a car 11, and having its inner endloosely connected with the swinging catch bya connecting rod 12. Theouter end of the operating lever 9 is provided'with a weight 14, and.when the outer end of thelever is free to fall, it will elevate theswinging catch, and release the link 6 for uncoupling. The operatinglever, while the parts are coupled, is

supported in an elevated p0sition,: as illus-' trated in Fig. 1 of theaccompanying drawings, by means of a hook 15, to cause the swingingcatch to rest against the bottom of the draw-head. When in thisposition, the catch is adapted forautomatic coupling; but as soon as thelever is disengaged from the hook, it will swing thecatch upward.

The lever 9 is designed to extend to within a short distance of theadjacent sideof-the car, in order to be within easy reach of theoperator, to avoid going between cars. An operating lever may, ifdesired, be arranged at each side of the car; and any suitable means maybe employed for enabling the operation of uncoupling to be performedfrom the top of the car. r

A link guider 16 is slidingly mounted in the draw-head, and is locatedin the rear portion of the opening 3, and its lower portion 17 isbifurcated to straddle the reduced portion of the swinging catch. Thelink guider is of sufficient weight to hold the link, upon which it isdesigned to rest, in a horizontal position for guiding it into the mouthof a draw-head; and it is provided with an up ward extending rod 18,which, with the connecting link 12, passes through a slot19 of a plate20 detachably'secured to the top of the draw-head and coveringtheopening 3. Any suitable means may be employed for lifting the rod18to allow the link to be depressed when necessary.

It willbe seen that the car coupling is simple and comparativelyinexpensive in construction, and positive and reliable in operation, andthat it is capable of automatic coupling, and convenient uncoupling,without necessitating a person going between cars. It will also beapparent that the link is held in a horizontal position for guiding itinto the mouth of a draw-head, and the link guider is operatedautomatically by the swinging catch, which, when it is raised by a linken tering the draw-head, swings upward rearwardly and lifts the linkguider. As soon as the catch drops, by reason of the link passing it,the link holder and guider will fall, and bear upon the upper face ofthe link.

Instead of employing a pivot pin for'hinging the swinging catch,integral journals 5 may be employed, in which case seats will beprovided in the draw-head for the same.

Changes in the form, proportion, and the minor details of constructionmay be resorted to without departing from the principle or sacrificingany of the advantages of this invention.

What I claim is- -1. In a car coupling, the combination with a car, ofadraw-head, aswinging catch mounted therein, a transversely disposedlever fulcru medintermediate of its ends on the car and connected at itsinner end with the swinging catch, and having its outer portion weightedand adapted when free to swing the catch upward out of engagement with alink, and a support mounted on the car for holding the weighted portionof the lever elevated for maintaining the catch in engagement with thelink, substantially as and for the purpose described.

2. In a car coupling, the combination of a draw-head, a swinging catchmounted therein, and a vertically movable link holder and guiderslidingly mounted in the draw-head and arranged in rear of the catch andbifurcated and straddling the same, and having an inclined face inpositionto be engaged by and swung upward by the catch, whereby it isautomatic in its operation, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixedmy signature in the presence of two Witnesses. V

HUGH CHRISTIE.

Witnesses:

THOMAS LATTA, E. L. MARSY.

